There's an app for that

I love reward cards. I love earning points for stuff that I'm buying anyway, only to redeem them later to save money or get other free things. It's one of the reasons that makes travel fun - the six hour flight to Europe is a little more bearable when I know that I'm earning airline miles. Sleeping weeks on end in a hotel is a bit more rewarding when I know I'm earning hotel points. If you've seen "Up In The Air", everything about they parody about earning miles is completely true.

The downside to having all those reward cards is that you end up with a big, fat wallet. Until now. I recently discovered KeyRing, an app that stores all your reward cards on your iphone/droid. It scans the barcode on the card, stores the rewards number and - voila! - virtual rewards card. This is the reason these phone were invented.

So I was at the Harris Teeter (grocery store) the other day and decided to try out my newly digitized VIP card. I opened the app, the clerk scanned the code and my savings began.

And the best part: my wallet can now snap shut.

Operator Error

How is it that we live in the digital era and no one knows how to use an airline self-service kiosk?

It doesn't matter if the person is young or old, hip or old-fashioned, I have yet to watch a person use one of those kiosks without 1) needing assistance or 2) taking less than 5 minutes to print their boarding passes.

I'll be the first to admit: I'm not a patient person. In fact, I'm the opposite of a patient person. And nothing drives me crazier than to watch people try to navigate the self-service kiosks.

First, it begins with them not knowing when to walk up to a kiosk. Without fail, there will be seventeen kiosks open and I'll have to direct the poor soul at the front of the line to one of them.

Me: "Excuse me? Are you waiting for a kiosk?"
Them: "Yes."
Me: "There's an open kiosk over there. And there. And there. And there."

Then, invariably, they don't have their confirmation code. Or a credit card to swipe. Or a passport. Or their destination airport.

Once they have gotten past the intro screen, they feel the need to read every single word on the screen and carefully select the right button to push. Nevermind that the right button to push is always in a bright color, to help guide you through the process quickly. I watch as their fingers hover over the screen, anticipating their next move. But it's a slow process, as if they don't fully understand how the magical screen can capture their answers.

Finally, they print their boarding pass and just as I'm about to take their place in line, they stand there to talk to the kiosk attendant. They don't move out of the way so the next person can use the kiosk. No. They stand IN FRONT OF THE IDLE KIOSK, asking some asinine question (I'm sure.)

Now, I'm no computer whiz kid. But I do know how to read and how to push things. These extraordinary talents allow me to check in and print my boarding pass in a matter of mere seconds.

The airline kiosks should be reserved for those with these special talents. Everyone else can use the old fashioned way to check-in: the friendly airline ticket counter agent.

A Sign of the Times

Flying often (very often, these days), I've noticed that some airlines are upgrading their fleet. You can tell because the seats look different, the overhead bins are smaller and the carpet is newer.

There's also another change: no more "No Smoking" signs. You know the ones...the space above each seat where two lights are illuminated - "Fasten Your Seatbelt" (also communicated with a simple seatbelt illustration) and "No Smoking" (also communicated with a cigarette with a red line through it). The "No Smoking" light has now been replaced by the "Turn off Electronic Devices" light (no cool graphic to go with this one).

I don't actually ever remember being able to smoke on a flight, but it's strange to see this icon be updated. It's what I've always seen on a plane - a bit of comfort and familiarality replaced by something new.

At the same time, it's exciting to be part of two eras - and be aware of the change. I don't think any other generation has seen - and been a part of - such rapid technological change. After all, this week marks the 25th anniversary of the Commodor 64 - I was three when it debuted, but I've watch computers change (remember DOS?), digital music descend upon us (remember Napster?), and now seen it become so embedded in our culture that it has found its way even in the small space above an airline seat. My kids will never see the "No Smoking" light on an airplane; although I'm sure the old comfort of "Turn off Electronic Devices" will one day be replaced with something newfangled.

It's pretty exciting.